


Out of Tune

by Penndragon27



Series: Penn's Midnight Fics [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: And then angsstt, Fluff, M/M, Music, gorgeous art by VentiMocha, mentions of illness, much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penndragon27/pseuds/Penndragon27
Summary: Gwaine plays guitar, Merlin played violin.





	Out of Tune

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another fic... Inspired by a tumblr prompt
> 
> Thanks mocha for the beautiful art omg <3 <3

Gwaine first met Merlin when they were eleven. They were in music class together, Gwaine eager to learn guitar while Merlin was drawn to the violin. The teacher wasn’t happy at having to deal with someone unable to play the violin for the foreseeable future, but she pasted on a smile and set to teaching them how to tune their instruments.

Gwaine was able to pick it up right away, always having an ear for music, but Merlin struggled for nearly five minutes before Gwaine took the instrument out of his hands and did it for him.

“You’re good to go!”

Merlin gave him a wide grin and Gwaine got a new friend.

Every class after that Merlin would fiddle with his violin for a bit and Gwaine would help him out, Merlin would smile, and Gwaine would feel his chest tighten.

When they were thirteen, both had improved greatly and Gwaine sometimes had to stop playing so he could just sit and listen to Merlin. Watch his forehead crease in concentration as his pale fingers moved decisively.

After class, as they put their instruments away, Gwaine tapped Merlin’s shoulder.

“My birthday’s this weekend and I’m having a party. Do you want to come?”

Merlin’s face fell. “I wish I could, but I have to spend time with family this weekend.”

Gwaine nodded in understanding, even though his stomach hurt.

His party ended up being pretty nice, but he couldn’t help thinking it would have been better if Merlin was there.

On Monday he arrived to music class to find a small envelope on his seat. Inside was a sparkly card that left glitter all over his hands and a guitar pick with a painted green apple on it. Gwaine’s favourite snack.

He looked up to find a blushing Merlin holding out his violin awkwardly. Gwaine shook his head fondly.

“One day you’re going to have to do this yourself, you know.”

Merlin laughed and so did Gwaine. He had no intention of leaving Merlin any time soon.

“You’re good to go!”He handed back the violin.

Merlin smiled at him. Gwaine used the guitar pick every day.

In high school they were in the same music class again. Gwaine would tune Merlin’s violin and then he’d watch Merlin play, eyes wide with wonder.

There was one day, when they were seventeen, that Merlin was practicing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Op. 35. It was a pretty piece that Gwaine had heard many times, but not in the way Merlin played it. Not with such careful movements and deep emotion that when Merlin’s eyes closed, lost to the music, and a tear slipped out, Gwaine’s heart stopped for a few seconds and he realized.

He loved Merlin.

 

Gwaine was never one to keep things to himself, so when Merlin shyly held out his violin next class, he tuned it, but didn’t give it back.

Instead, he held it over his head with a smile and as soon as Merlin leaned forward to reach for it, Gwaine planted a kiss right on his lips.

It was small and chaste, but still warmed him to his toes. He leaned in to do it again annd Merlin stepped back. There were tears in his eyes.

“Sorry, I just… I can’t-”

Gwaine suddenly felt nauseous, but waved him off, playing it for joke. He passed Merlin the tuned violin with numb hands.

“You’re good to go!”

Gwaine knew Merlin was gay, considering he had recently broken up with Will, so maybe Merlin just saw Gwaine as a friend. He just had to flirt more, try to show Merlin his more romantic side. That was it. Gwaine was handsome and charming. He could definitely win Merlin over.

He entered music class the next week, all prepared to assure Merlin he could tune all kinds of instruments, but Merlin wasn’t there.

Out of habit he ended up tuning the spare violin and setting it on his chair before getting out his guitar, worrying he might have scared Merlin off.

Merlin wasn’t there for the next few classes and then their teacher announced that he was in the hospital. Apparently Merlin had cystic fibrosis and Gwaine never knew.

He kept his violin tuned for when he would come back.

When the teacher made another announcement, Gwaine didn’t cry. When the school had an assembly, he didn’t cry. When his parents drove him to the funeral where a sweet woman embraced him, telling him how much Merlin cared for him, he didn’t cry.

He went back to music class and tuned the violin before setting it on Merlin’s chair. A tear slipped out.

“You’re good to go.”

 


End file.
